


Expect the Unexpected

by Nyx_Morana



Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2016-07-08
Packaged: 2018-07-22 08:52:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7428238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyx_Morana/pseuds/Nyx_Morana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Great War (supposedly after TOG6), Rowan decides to keep his promise of training Dorian's (now King) magic and decides to bring Aelin along. A sparring match changes everything they believed to be true with their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Expect the Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> Whoop, this was fun to write

It was the period after the Great War, and after regaining resources, power, and people, Terrasen was well on its way to becoming the most powerful court Erilea has ever seen. Adarlan didn’t fall that far behind, not when they had one of the most magically powerful King history has ever seen.

Even though Dorian Havilliard lost everything from his family, to his lover, he never let that glint of kindness and strength fade away. He had still yet to be officially crowned, but no one minded, especially when the citizens were busy in gaining back their livelihoods after the tyrannical reign of the previous King Havilliard.

Aelin could have never felt better. Aedion was finally back and pissing on the couches from being kept inside for too long, Lysandra couldn’t stop shifting into a ghost leopard in her sleep much to Aedion’s dismay, Nox was now a part of her court and Rowan embodied the title of “territorial fae bullshit regime” better than Aedion himself. He never left her side. Fussy, she endearingly thought.

But there were heavy losses. Manon was still busy in the Witches Wasteland and mourning the loss of her Second, Asterin. She wished she delivered the killing blow to that bitch who called herself Maeve, but conceded that Lorcan needed to pay off the debt more than she did once she found out who Asterin’s mate was. Elide had been doing a great job of controlling her own witch-ly instincts, even though she couldn’t stop pecking Manon’s cheek to make her blush. Ever since she heard that the Celaena Sardothien was the great Aelin Ashryver Galanthynius, she couldn’t be more honoured to be asked to be allied with her during the Great War.

In Terrasen, after establishing her own power and making sure the Wyrdkeys were kept well away from untrusted hands (Aelin was never more pleased to hear that Maeve had perished at Lorcan’s hands in the war), Aelin received a letter.

Dorian’s crowning ceremony.

A memory flickered at the voices, “You’ll always have a place here” and she couldn’t help the leap of joy that Dorian was finally going to have something to protect. She believed he wouldn’t give up. Not on his country. Not when he was the best king that Aelin had ever seen. Especially not when several Queen-wannabes tried to seduce the man into marriage.

Aelin called Lysandra, Aedion, and the hulking mass called Rowan to read out the invitation. She was going back to Ardarlan. To Rifthold. Even though the memories of a certain auburn haired assassin and a glass castle inhibited by a certain Valg King numbed her senses, she willed herself into calm. She believed in Dorian. She believed he would make the change the world needed to see. She didn’t know what the tug she felt when she thought about Dorian meant.

“It’s all set then. We’re going to Ardarlan.” Aedion remarked.

“Yes we are.” Aelin mumbled.

Rowan flicked his green, green eyes over to Aelin, almost as if he scented the change in Aelin’s feelings. “Terrasen has enough to stand on its own, and we can just put Elide up to the job if it doesn’t. That is if Manon doesn’t bite off our heads.,” Rowan grinned, showing off his elongated canines.

When Aelin saw that grin, a shiver went down her spine, knowing exactly where those teeth had bitten. Rowan looked at a certain fire-breathing-bitch-queen and his face seemed to say ‘You call me territorial, yet you can’t keep your hands off me’.

Aelin rolled her eyes and gave him a look that shut him down, ‘Behave, or else someone wont be coming ;)’ … ‘To the ceremony I mean’

And as their alpha dominance staring contest ended, Aelin couldn’t help feeling guilty as if something wasn’t right. Rowan didn’t seem to notice the shift in her mood this time, and instead called for supplies and horses to be organised for the trip.

And as the kingdom was left in Elide’s hands (and more riskily in Nox’s too), the royal group set out for Ardarlan to meet the sapphire eyed king.

As they set up camp for the first night, there were only two tents. One for Lysandra and Aelin, and the other for the two fae males having a pissing contest. Not knowing how, Lysandra and Aedion ended up in a tent, so Rowan and Aelin had to sleep together. Due to their remarkable fae hearing, Aedion and Lysandra were almost “accidentally” dropped off the cliff for being ‘too loud’.

Dawn rose, and so they set out again.

Back in Adarlan, and in the glass castle Dorian used to hate so much, he found himself humming. _Humming_. As he walked through the halls. The king found himself walking a particular direction, and before he knew it, he was in a bedroom. Aelin’s bedroom. From when she was the champion. The tapestry was still there, but Dorian knew better than to walk down those stairs.

Instead, he just walked out and as he pondered asking for a chocolate cake, found himself in front of a set of doors larger than life. The library.

He walked inside, savouring the smell, and aura of wisdom that radiated off the books. Libraries were full of ideas- perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons. Walking further and further into the depths of knowledge, he flinched when he saw the door that led into the catacombs underneath the castle.

But that was a whole world that didn’t exist anymore. An era that had passed. New traditions for a new reign he had said to Nesryn, the first female Captain of the Guard. They had sent letters updating Dorian on Chaol’s legs. They would be here in time for the ceremony.

Good.

Nodding to himself, the to-be King of Adarlan left the library and went about his kingly duties.

Back to where night had fallen, Rowan was on the verge of slitting Aedion’s neck. “Stop touching me. Stop hugging me. And stop being so godsdamned loud when other people are trying to sleep.”

Aedion only purred, “this is revenge for all those nights you kept me awake when you were with Aelin. No matter how many times I told you to shut the windows…” he sighed, “and I can’t help that you’re an attractive brute. I always want to hug the bastard.”

With a little growl, Aedion yelped and ran after Lysandra who had shifted into a crow. Aelin was absorbed into her own mind, and Rowan was used to this, but her eyes were swimming with emotions. Confusion and guilt seemed to be the main ones. Rowan seemed to be getting distant from Aelin. His fireheart.

He had seen the way her face lit up at times, when she received the invite to the crowning ceremony and whenever a certain King’s name was mentioned. He thought nothing of it, ‘just a little yearning for her best friend’ he told himself. But he couldn’t help but feel a little twinge of pain whenever Aelin felt like that. ‘No. We claimed each other. It’s nothing.’

After hours of bickering between Aedion and Aelin on the most painful scarring, and Aedion and Lysandra on something Aelin and Rowan most certainly did not want to hear, they had finally reached the border of Ardarlan.

Aelin was speechless.

The people were thriving, with spices, clothes, shoes and CHOCOLATE being sold, Aelin couldn’t help the pride that rushed with the brightness of it all. She knew Dorian could do it. Everyone looked so happy, and the smell of food rose in the air. Everyone was celebrating the ceremony.

The people noticed the Queen of Terrasen’s presence and had moved to accommodate her and her party; splitting like she was on fire. She was literal wildfire after all. There were so many people!

High faes, from courts she (guiltily) hadn’t even heard of congregated for the crowning of Dorian Havilliard. Her party rode into the castle grounds and were ushered, happily, by Phillipa into their rooms. Aelin immediately took a bath, while the rest chose food.

After all of them had been cleansed, and filled with food, they set out to look for Dorian.

“He couldn’t even meet us at the front doors. I thought he loved us,” Aedion remarked shaking his head, “where is he anyways”

“We should split up.” Aelin suggested.

The rest agreed (more reluctantly Rowan and Aedion to let their queen go off on her own, but Lysandra had her back, as always).

Aelin had this feeling. This intuition. And so she headed for the library.

As she opened the doors, a tug brought her in, and another tug led her where to go. Soon enough, she saw a fluffy lump of raven-black hair. Dorian’s body was slumped over a desk with a book under his face. He looked… Adorable. Aelin’s heart fluttered at the sight, and caught the title of the book. It was one she recommended he read.

It was the filthiest smut she’d ever read. “For your future endeavours ;)” she had posted.

Aelin grinned and proceeded to laugh her head off. Dorian, the fluffy marshmallow he is, woke up when Aelin looked positively blue in the face and was snorting like a pig. Dorian shot out of his position and looked at the laughing mess.

Aelin. Aelin was here.

Once she had settled down, they looked at each other like they’ve never seen the other before.

“I missed you.” He blurted.

Aelin only grinned and remarked “Of course you did, I am pretty entertaining.”

Her smirk turned deadly and Dorian started to fear for his life.

“Though I’m sure the book you’re reading is stimulating enough”

She never saw Dorian look so flustered. “Look you devil-woman, I tried to be nice. Reading your books, saying how much I missed you, you could do the same for me too.”

Aelin’s gaze softened and as she opened her mouth, three obnoxious voices filtered in.

Aedion and Lysandra immediately went to recount their journey, while Rowan gave him a more contemplative look. The gaze was so short, that Dorian though he imagined it.

And as the couple started to bicker once again, with Aelin in tow, Rowan said to Dorian, “Remember my offer? I said I’ll teach you how to control your magic, and it still stands.”

Dorian only nods and remarks, “After the ceremony.”

Aelin had caught tail of the conversation, and interrupted, “I’ll train with you too, just in case Rowan accidentally hurls an ice dagger at your neck too fast.”

With Rowan and Dorian’s agreement, the day after the ceremony was decided to be his first training day.

Phillipa could be heard down the halls shouting “My lord! Lord Chaol and Captain Nesryn are back from Torre Cesme!”

Now the whole crew were back together.

The ceremony was to start.

It was brilliant really. All the relevant people clapped politely, but only the people who had participated in the war knew how heavy that crown was. Full of hate, bloodshed, evil and darkness. But with Dorian, it would be a symbol for hope, and a new beginning.

The ceremony ended and Dorian could officially be now called King.

Now for the training.

Aedion and Lysandra were off shopping. Well. Lysandra was, Aedion was more the servant.

This left Rowan, Dorian and Aelin in peace to train. They were out in the back of the castle, where the knights mostly trained. Rowan ran through the basics of positions and magic. Dorian, the intelligent man that he was, followed easily and in fact impressed Rowan with how fast he was learning.

That is until Aelin joined in.

Rowan called Aelin over and asked her to throw some harmless fire at Dorian so he could defend himself. Aelin conjured up some fire and threw it at Dorian.

She missed Dorian by a good metre.

Confused, Aelin tried again. She missed completely.

Dorian was looking just as confused as her. And again and again, Aelin threw fire, daggers, anything, but it never touched Dorian.

So Rowan instructed Dorian to hit Aelin with magic instead. The same thing happened. He missed her completely. Time and time again.

Rowan’s face fell. He knew. He knew what was going on.

Aelin and Dorian couldn’t hurt each other.

Aelin and Dorian were mates.

That’s why Aelin constantly felt a tug towards Dorian. That’s why Dorian was unconsciously led to Aelin’s room and the memories that they shared together. They were infinite. They were power. They were mates. From the very beginning, to the end of time, they would never be anything different to each other.

And that’s when Rowan realised that even though Aelin might be the love of his life, the love of his life was not his. But his best friends’.


End file.
